Sorting machine



July 19, 1932. w. w. LASKER 1,868,112

, SQRTING MACHINE File d Aug. 7, 1929 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 MI" W Hi UMMHHW INVENTOR ATTORNEY July 19,1932.

W. W. LASKER -SORTING MACHINE Filed Aug.7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY y 1932- w. w. LASKER 1,868,112

SORTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A'ITORNEY July 19, 1932.

W W. LASKER SORTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WZZWZ 1144 %%MJ ATTORN EY July 19, 1932. w. w. LASKER" 1,358,112

SORTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HIIIIM INVENTOR mmm ATTORN EY Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- WILLIAM W. LAS-KER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB 'ro BmGTOH m1) INC., 01! BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE soa'rmo momma Application filed August 7, 1929. Serial No. 884,080. g

This invention relates to machines for sorting perforated cards adapted for use in tabulating systems and by which the records may be classified by sorting the records into 5 groip's predetermined by perforations in the car s.

The present invention is directed to a machine of the general type as shown in my Patent No. 1,315,370 of Sept. 9, 1919.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine with a positive card conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide positive means for guiding the cards into their proper compartments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine with means for ositively conveying the cards without switchlng while being conveyed to their proper compartments. y

Another object of the invention is to provide means to avoid jamming of cards caused by switching, which occasionallyhappens in machines constructed with a carrier roll conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to prevent inaccuracy in the feeding of cards to their proper compartments.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for positive location of eachcard carried by the conveyor.-

Another object of the invention is to provide easy access to the cards'in the conveyor and visible performance. a

showing the arrangement of the helical cardconveyor.

Fig. 2 is a side'elevation of tion of the machine.

Another object of the i nventionis to pro-l.

the upper por- Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view showing the arrangement of the driving means operating the helical card conveyor."

Fig. 4 is a side view'of the drive on the left side of the machine taken on the line 4'4 of Fig. -3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the drive on the right side of the machine taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

a Fig.- 6 is a sectional view showin the arrangement of drive from left to rig t.

F1 7 is a front sectional view approximate y on the lineA-A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective view showing the arrangement of the card, deflector construction and tripping means.

Fig. 9 is a partial transverse sectional view through the helical card conveyors and some associated parts.

The machine illustrated in my Patent No. 1,315,370 is adapted to feed cards to their respective stations, by the arrangement of mjecting the cards between feed rolls, w th a setof feed rolls for each station, the whole comprising a great number of feed rolls and driving mechanism for their operatlon In the embodiment of the present invention herein illustrated I have shown improved means of simpler construction designed for positive, noiseless and high s ed operation in delivering perforated car s to their respective stations as indicated by the perforations in the cards.

For the purpose of attempted to illustrate a complete machine, as the invention relates particularly to improved card conveying means;

In F a stack of cards 18a, on the top of which rests a gravity block 186, supplied to hold the lowermost card'flat on the reciprocating feedslmphcity I have not ig. 2 a magazine hopper 18 holds block 19. This block 19 is provided with a picker-knife 34, whereby when the block is reciprocated the lowermost card in the mag- 1 azine is fed out of the magazine through the card throat 35, to be received between an upper feed roll 36 and a lower roll 36a. rolls are held in rolling contact by s ring pressure, so that when the roll -36a is rlven by suitabla gears described later, and an seen by referring shown in Fig. 4, the entry of any card be-' tween these rolls will result in the card being advanced to the successive pairs of feed rolls 49 and 49a, also and 50a. As will be to Fig. 1, the'rolls 49a and 56a are arrange to cooperate with the outside edges of the card, and are carried on arms under spring tension which press them against their companion rolls 49 and 50 re companion rolls 49a and 50a to advance the card to the discharging rolls 52 and 52a. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the rolls 52a are carried on swinging arms 53 loosely mounted on a fixed cross shaft 54, and springs fixed ly attached to the shaft .54, have their active ends bearing downward on the arms 53 to create a rolling contact with the gear driven feed roll 52. Thus thedischarge of a card from the analyzer to rolls 52 and 52a, results in the card being carried clear of the analyzing zone to a point where it is brought under the control of the conveying helices 56 and 56a on the controlling drums 57 and 57a.

These conveying helices and drums are also gear driven, so that the timed relation between the lead of the helix will agree with the timed discharge of a card from the feed rolls 52a and 52, in order that the helices 56 and 56a will engage behind the rear edge of the card, to cause the latter to be advanced as the feed rolls 52a and 52 rotate. The in-' suring of the precise feed of the card from the magazine hopper to the analyzer, where the same is momentarily arrested for a definite analyzing period, and then from the analyzerto the discharge rolls 52 and 52a, from whence it enters the control of the conveying helices 56, 56a, on the drums 57 and 57a, is accomplished ,by an arrangement of gears fully shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fixedly mounted on shaft 38 is the grooved pulley .39, driven in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4 from a suitable motor through the belt 40. Shaft 38 has secured thereto, the lower feed roll 36a, and at the opposite end' to that of pulley 39 is secured re ating to the card feed,- are mounted in bearings carried by extensions to the main frame 11 of-the machine. Other shafts 38a and 385, having respectively secured thereto, the feed rolls 49 and 50, and carried in bearings mounted in the frame 11, have secured thereto the gears 42 and 43 respectively, while ear 41. The shaft 38 as well as other shafts shaft 380, having secured thereto thegear 44 is carried in bearings mounted in frame 11,

and an intermediate extension 11a of frame 11. Supporting'studs 45 and 46 projecting from and carried by the frame 11 respectively'have loosely'mounted thereon double gears 47,48 and 47 48, which serve as intermediloosely mounted on the shouldered stud 63 mounted .in the extension 11a. The gear 63a fixed to the feed roll 52, meshes with the inates for effecting the'driving of all feed rolls termediate gear 62- to be driven thereby, and

hence no slippage to the driving feed rolls is possible. The initial upper feed roll 36 is positively driven by its gear 64 meshing with the ring particularly to Fig. 3 that the gears 41,

48, 42, 43, 48 and 44 are in one and the sameplane, while gears 47 and 58 are in their own same plane. Tracing the directions of roar 41. Hence it is seen by refertation it is seen that all the lower feed roll shafts rotate in a counter-clockwise direction,

as viewed in Fig. 4, the connections being as follows; Driver 41 to intermediate gears 47, 48;'gear =148,,t o gear 425 gear 47 to gear 58; gear 58 to gem-s47, 48*; gear 48 to gear 43, and gear 44 thence through 380 to gear 61 (Fig. 3) and gear 61 to intermediate gear 62 in mesh with gear 63a on the last lower feed roll 52.

I will now describe the means employed to effect the driving of the helices 56 and 56a with their respective drums 57 and 570, so that their direction of rotation will be towards each other as seen in Fig. 3, and indicated by the arrow marks. It is seen that the helix 56 has a right hand lead while the helix 56a has a left hand lead. The pitch of each helix is slightly more than the width of the card, while the spacing between the drums carrying the helices isslightly more than the length of the card, so that a moving card is held between the confines of the drums and the III helices, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1

ast

Supporting studs 71, 72 and 73 (Fig. 5) fixed in the frame housing 11 carry respectively the gears 69, 70, intermediate gears 74 and intermediate gear 75 to effect a driving connection from gear 60.

In the operation of the machine the cards are conveyed by the feed rolls 36 and 36a into place between the perforated plates 51 which are suitably supported by the main frame 11. The pin box 76 (Fig. 6) is arranged above the perforated plates 51, and

carried by a frame 77 arranged to he vertically reciprocated on parts 78 by means of pitmans or eccentric links79 terminating in the eccentrics 80, which are secured to shaft 59. d The pin box is provided with a row of pins 81 which may be adjusted to register with any one of the rows of holes in the plates 51. as fully explained in the Lasker patent. The stop 15 heretofore referred to is supported on and moves with the frames The pins 81, as set forth in the Lasker patent are yieldably pressed against the perforated card, and upon findin -a perforation, pass through the card during the descent of the pin box, and are then locked against retrograde movement with respect to the pin box, causing the-pin in its further movement to bear against its cooperating plunger 82 (Fig. 6) to further transmit motion to the push cables 83, which are sheathed in the flexible tubing 84. These cables cooperate with trip setting mechanism shown in Fig. 7 and which. will be referred to later.

Cards thus analyzed are conveyed to compartments 85 (Fig. 2) formed by division pieces 86 which are held at their lower ends by rods 87 supported by the machine frame 11 and at their u per ends by extension plates 88, which plates also form the bearing for timing disks 99 and card supporting and deflector fingers 89 to be now described.

Rotatably mounted in the supports 88 at points adjacent each partition 86 are shafts 90, to which are secured the fingers 89 (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) intermediate of the supports 88. Also on the ends of shaft 90, and outside the support 88. are secured the right-angled cam levers 91 (Figs. 7 and 8). Each cam lever 91 is provided with a re-set pin 92 and a pin 93 to which a spring 94 is attached. A stop block 95 for the levers 91 having a spring pin 96 to which the spring 94 is anchored is riveted to the support 88 at 'a position underneath the shoulder 97 of each cam lever 91. Thus the spring 94 urges the cam lever shoulder 97 into contact with the block 95 to hold the rockable shaft 90 in normal position, and thus hold the deflector fingers 89 in a substantially horizontal plane, as seen in Fig. 2, and so-provide a continuous support for the moving card as the latter is advanced between the drums 57 and 57a by their respective helices 56 and 56a. Integral with the division pieces 86 are brackets 110 which provide bearings for the rotatable timing shaft 98 (Fig. 7) on which are fixedly mounted disks 99-one for each compartment 85, and so positioned as to control the action of each cam lever 91. At equal angles apart a series of swinging levers 100 are mounted on fulcrum pins 101 riveted in the disk 99. At the outer end of the levers 100, a pin 102 is fixed which supports an actuating roll 103 and a swinging detent 104 having a two step notch, each of which embraces a pm 105 on the disk 99. 1 These pins are equally spaced angularly to form a latching shoulder to cooperate with the inner step or shoulder of the detent 10 when the latter is raised against the tension of a spring 107 stretched between the lower end of latch 104 and the adjacent pin 105. The springs tend to hold the rolls 103 from contacting with the cam levers 91.

The timing shaft 98 is driven in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7, by suitable gearing that allows for the passage of each successive lever 100 past a setting plunger 111 (Fig. 7 for each card that is analyzed. The setting plunger 111 is siidably supported in the bracket 11c and is projected by a lever 112 actuated by the push cable 83, into the path of a cam. surface 113 on the lever 100 to cam the lever 100 outwardly as the disk 100 is rotated.

The action of the. setting plunger as controlled by the push cable 83, is fully set forth in my Patent #1315370, and hence there is.

no need to further describe samebeyond pointing out that in Fig. 7 there is shown a lever 100 with its actuating roll 103 in contact with the cam lever 91 which has been raised by reason of the shoulder 106 being lodged on the pin 105. While the lever 91 is raised during the passage of the roll 103 along the lower cam edge of 91, the shaft 90 is rocked to carry with it the fingers 89 so that they are deflected from the horizontal plane as seen in Fig. 2 and Fig. 8, into an inclined position whereby the outer leading end is raised above the plane assumed by a card in its normal path of travel through the feed rolls and as seen-in Fig. 7 so that in the tation of the ,disk 99 has caused the cam finger 108 to wipe the underside of pin 92 causing a counter-clockwise movement of the latch'lOet and consequent 'dislodgement between the shoulder 106 and the pin 105, with the result that the spring 107 restores thetances govern not onlj'nthe location of the levers 100 on the timing disks 99 but the speed at which the timing shaft 98 is driven, as well as the positioning of the setting plunger 110 to suit each dish 99. It is obvious that the feeding of a succession of cards from the magazine hopper 18 as rapidly as the feeding block 19 and picker-knife 34 can reciprocate and without any regard for the ultimate disposition of the card, would result in what might be considered a speed ideal. However, in practice it is found that While the fur ction of analyzing can be performed as quickly as it is possible to feed cards from the magazine hopper by a reciprocating pickerknifc, and then toias quickly despatch them from the analyzer in the same rapid succession to a single receiving compartment, it is not possible to maintain thesame speed of despatch where several receiving compartments are involved and to which the cards are differentially delivered. Speed on differen-- tial selection, is however obtainedin inverse proportion to the space required between successive cards in order that the deflector fingers 89 may function to either deflect a card into its compartment or to normally act to support a card passing above. To this end it'has been customary to so adjust the timing of deflector operating means that a selection initiated in the analyzer is not effective until the leading edge of the card has practically reached the deflecting finger, which is then raised by the timed latching of the lever 100. Starting from the function previously described where the analyzing pin 81 finds a hole in the card, it impinges upon plunger 82 to operate the push cable 83 (Fig. 6) to thereby set its cooperating latch lever 100. From this point, two timed factors are involved. First, the latch lever 100 that was set is moving with its disk 99 by positively I timed means to where it'will engage and raise the cam arm 91, to in turn raise the associated fingers 89. Secondly, the card is started on its way. by the grip rolls 49a and a and their companion positively driven rolls 49 and 5-0, to be later discharged into the feed rolls 52a and 52, which rolls, as before described, are in constant rolling contact by reason of the pressure springs 55. The cards. are fed along the top side of the supporting and deflecting fingers 89 until they encounter a raised set, whence the card is' diverted to the under side and into the receiving compartment 85,. This compartment may be the third from the analyzer. The preceding card may have been destined for they at normal form the supporting track for the cards being fed, are substantially the same length as the width of a card, it is therefore absolutely necessary that the leading edge of a card should have reached the precise point to lead under the fingers 89 just asthe latter are raised to receive the card selected for that "particular compartment 85. Should the card for any reason have been delayed; the short time permissible for the deflector fingers 89 to be open will have elapsed and the deflector fingers 89 having closed under the action of spring 94 (Fig.8) the. card will pass over the fingers 89 and not be correctly sorted. This phase of feeding the card from the analyzer in timed relation to the operation of the deflector fingers 89 has been a most important one where a broadened use of sorting machines'has required a gradual increase in the speed capacity of such machine. Hitherto, a succession of feed rolls has been employed operating similarly to the rolls 52 and 52a to carry the card along the common path, their contact with the card being directly over the center of the shafts 90. With such an arrangement it is necessary that a card must'pass successively out of and into the control of each set of rolls and in so doing the leading edge ofthe card must strike in between the contacting line of the upper and lower rolls, when the latter are forced apart by the thickness of the card which action becomes a deterrent to the progress of the card. With a succession of deterrents it is found that the exact timing of the card feed through a succession of feed rollsis a difficult thing to maintain and'involves careful and expensive processes to insure uniformity. In addition the rolls must be uniform in size, be

absolutely concentric, and be mounted on axes (that are perfectly parallel. So pronounced is the deterring action that it is ,necessary to drive the initial set of rolls corresponding in position to rolls 52a and 52, at a higher speed than the succeeding rolls along the path of travel to compensate for the loss to be subsequently encountered. Due to minute variation in the thickness and finish of the card stock, also to a bruised condition of the leading card edge when the same cards are used a number of times, the grip of the feed rolls becomes uneven and the card entry is variable so that cards will switch or get out of track and jam, resulting in the destruction of several cards, until the machine is stopped. The trouble becomes apparent at high speeds, and calls for the use only of cards that have not been crumpled on the edge.

To overcome all these difficulties, so that marred cards can be used indefinitely with accuracy and to insure an accurate and positive feed or the cards from the analyzer in exact timed relationship to the positive movement of the timing disks, at high speeds, and furthermore to eliminate expensive construction and expert adjustments I have in my present invention reduced the feed rolls to a minimum and provided a simple conveying means for the card which at the same time completely controls the card sideways thus preventing switching and jams and at the same time positively pushes the card without any resistance by the latter so that the leading edge reaches the deflector with an exact and uniform space regardless of the speed of the machine.

Furthermore my improved construction dispenses with a large number of rotary members and bearings which not only eliminates. costly parts, but reduces the noise of the ma-.

chine to a minimum.

v The accomplishment resides in the fact that once a card is discharged from rolls 52a and 52 it is led on to the upper side of the sup porting and deflecting lingers 89, there to rest by gravity until the leading end 109 (Fig. 3) of the helices 56 and 56a engage behind the rear edge 110 of the card, while the opposed rotation of the drums 57 and 57a downward past the outside edges of the card, tends to hold same to the patch support while it is positively advanced. The pitch of the helices 56, 56a is substantially equivalent to the centre distances of the receiving compartments 85. The drums 57 and 57 and the helices 56 and 56 are covered by sheet metal covers 112, Fig. 7, which at one end rest on the frame brackets 11 and at their other ends on parts 113 of the frame 11 in which partsthe forward ends of the drum shafts are journaled and which parts are made of rectangular outline in order to support the cover plates.

These cover plates lie over the drums and helices and their inner edges project downward to a point just above the path of travel of the card as shown in Fig. 7 where they serve as a guide positively to prevent upward motion of the cards as the latter travel across the pockets.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for sorting cards, the combination of an analyzer, a card supply magazine, means for feeding the cards from the supply magazine'to the analyzer, a. plurality of receptacles into which the cards are to be delivered, means under control of the analyzer for causing the cards to be directed into a the proper receptacles, a helical conveyor for conveying the cards over said directing means, and means for feeding the cards from the analyzer to said conveyor.

'2. A conveyor for cards comprising spaced parallel cylinders, oppositely directed helical feeding strips or flanges rigid with the cylinders, means for rotating said cylinders in opposite directions, and means for guiding the cards approximately in the common plane of the axes of the cylinders.

3. A conveyor for cards comprising spaced parallel cylinders, a helical flange or strip rigid with each cylinder, means for rotating the cylinders to cause the sides of the strips or flanges to act on the cards, and means for supporting and guiding the cards approximately in the common plane of the axes of the cylinders.

4. In a machine for sorting cards, the combination of an analyzer, a card supply magazine, means for feeding the cards from the supply magazine to the analyzer, a plurality of receptacle into which the cards are to be delivered, means under control of the analyzer for causing the cards=tobedirected into the proper receptacles, a helical conveyor for conveying the cards over said directing means, means for feeding the cards from the analyzer to said conveyor, and means for confining the cards against vertical displacement 4 as they are moved across the means directing the cards to the receptacles.

5. In a machine for sorting cards, the combination of an analyzer, a card supply magafining the cards against vertical displacement. 6. A conveyor for cards comprising positive feeding means associated with a pair of parallel cylinders spaced apart to receive andguide the card between them during its movement in a direction parallel to the axes of the cylinders, the card being disposed in the plane of said axes.

7. A conveyor for cards comprising a pair of parallel cylinders spaced apart to receive and guide a card between them during its movement in a direction parallel to and in the plane of the axes of the cylinders, and helical strips or flanges rigid with the cylinders having a itch sli htlygreater than the dimenslon 0 the car in the direction of its movement for moving thecard edgewise in its own plane in a direction parallel to the 6 axes of the cylinders.

8. 'The combination of analyzing means, a series of'card receptacles, timed receptacle selecting means controlled by said analyzing means, and a spiral conveyor acting to 10 propel the cards positively in'timed relation to said selecting means.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, this 5th day of Aug, A D. 1929.

16 a v WILLIAM W. LASKER. r 

